Tool coupling



June 27, 1933. D D, EVY' 1,915,370

TOOL COUPLING Filed May 13, 1931 INVENTOR aid/e] Olav BY s ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 27, 19 33 DUDLEY 1 3. LEVY, or NEW YORK, N.

PAEEQT i eaf...

Y., ASSIGNOR TO DUDLEY RESEARCH CORPORA- TION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A COPJEOBATION OF NEW YORK root COUPLING Application filed May 13, 1931. Serial No. 536,963.

This invention relates to a new and useful tool coupling or holding mechanism which is adapted for use in dental surgery, bone surgery, and other devices.

One of the prime objects is the. provision of a simple, compact, reliable, readily operated, and securely holding tool coupling whereby it is possible to quickly change tools in a tool handle or to of this invention place different handles on a tool.

In dental and bone surgery, where for example a reciprocating instrument is used for operating a cutting chisel or other tool, it is often necessary to replace the reciprocating instrument by a tool handle in order to have other surgical tool.

a firm hold for manipulating the chisel or It is necessary and very important under suchconditions to quickly replace the reciprocating instrument by a .1 plain tool holder or tool handle and T have the herein disclosed tool coupling purpose.

has, among others, the

invented mechanlsm for this This mechanism a following advantages: It is rugged, yet sim- 1- pie in construct1on,

and it is not liable to get out of order. Due to its slender construction it does not obstruct the new of the sur- I struction illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, in which-- Figure 1 is a view of one form of tool handle equipped with my new tool coupling and having a tool held'in locked position;

Fig. 2 is a view of a portion of a reciprocating tool instrument having my new coupling applied thereto and showing the tool held in locked position similar to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

- Fig. 4 is a view taken on line 1& of Fig. 2 looking 1n the direct1on of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing, I have shown in Fig. 1 a tool handle having a handle or holding part in which is securely held a shaft 11, which shaft is equipped with my tool coupling. A cutting tool or chisel 12 is shown in connection with the tool holding handle and coupling. At the free end of shaft 11 there is provided a bore or tool seat in which the shank 13 of the tool is seated, as shown in Fig. 3. The shaft is further pro vided with a slot 14 extending a portion of the distance of the shaftseat and being intersected at substantially right angles by a groove 15 in shaft'll. The slot 14 is shown disposed and located that it will receive a stud pin 16 extending at right angles from the tool shank 13, as is best shown. in Figs. 3 and i. This stud is of such height that it will be engaged by a substantially straight portion 17 of the spring holding member or clip 18. This clip comprises, besides the straight portion 17, side members or elbows 19 and 20 which terminate in pivots 21 and 22. Said pivots areengaged on opposite sides of the shaft so that the clip member will be readily lifted out of its locked position by pressure on the elbows. The elbows are bent slightly inward so as to hug the shaft with sufficient resiliency to retain the clip in locked position. l/Vhen, therefore, it is desirable to unlock the tool coupling for removal of the tool or the handle it is only necessary to press with the finger on the elbow portion of the clip and thereby raise the holding portion of the clip out ofposition and thereby release the tool which can then be removed and replaced by another tool or, in a case where it is necessary to remove the reciprocating instrument, the same mode of procedure is followed and the reciprocating tool mechanism is removed and replaced by the hand manipulated handle.

In Figs. 2 and 3 a portion of the tool reciprocating mechanism is shown. This comprises the tip end 24 in which the reciprocating shaft is held. This member is screwed ontothe housing 25. It is understood that this housing contains the mechanism whereby shaft 11 is reciprocated or given hammer blows by the repeated succession of up and down movements of the hammer within the casing, not herein disclosed or Claimed. A construction of tool reciprocating mechanism wherein a reciprocating member or hammer is reciprocated to thereby imparta succession of rapid hammer blows to a tool holding shaft is illustrated and described in my copending application Serial No. 290,920, filed July 7, 1928.

From the description thus far given it is apparent that by means of my improved spring clip it is possible to quickly replace tools in a tool handle or in the reciprocating mechanism. It is also of advantage in replacing the reciprocating mechanisni by a tool handle without removing the'tool from its working position. This is of importance in connection with surgery where, for example, the cutting tool has been driven into bone structure or a molar for removal of undesired parts and it is necessary to use the chisel as a prying means. In such cases it is important that the reciprocating mechanism be quickly and easily removed from the tool and replaced by a tool handle, such as is. shown in Fig. 1. It is further understood that different types of tool handles may be substituted where the conditions of operation require such substitution without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim: 1

1. .In a surgical tool reciprocating instrument, a tOOlllOldiIlg handle and the like, a tool holding shaft having an endbore to form a tool seat in the free end thereof, said seat having a slot adapted to receive a stud pin of a tool in said tool seat, said shaft having also a groove in its outer surface at substantially right anglesto the end slot, and a spring clip pivotally mounted on the shaft and havin elbows resiliently engaging the sides of the shaft and a connecting portion between said, elbows adapted to engage said stud pin.

2. A tool coupling comprising a spring clip and a shaft, said shaft havinga seat at one end thereof with a slot therein and a groove intersecting said slot, said clip having a substantially straight mid-portion united with two bent elbow shaped portions, each of which terminates in a pivot member for pivotally engaging the shaft, said elbows resiliently gripping the sides of the shaft for pressing said mid-portiou constantly in the same direction."

3. A tool coupling comprising a shaft having a seat in the end thereof, said shaft having a slot and a groove intersecting said slot, a tool having a shank removably engagin said seat, a stud pin projecting from the snank of said tool,

said stud pin adapted to engage said slot, and

means for holding said pin in position, said means pivotally mounted on said shaft and having elbows disposed laterally of the shaft to press thereon, said elbows united by a portion which is resiliently tensioned towards and into closing position.

4. In a surgical tool reciprocating instrument, a tool holding handle, a tool holding shaft on the handle, said shaft having an end bore to form a tool seat in the free end thereof, said seat having a slot adapted to receive a stud pin ofthe tool in said tool seat, said shaft having also a groove in its outer surface at substantially right angles to the end slot, and a spring clip having a pin engaging portion, said clip pivotally mounted at opposite sides of the shaft and having elbows united by the pin engaging portion, said pin engaging portion constantly 'tensioned towards locking position. 1

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 8th day of May, A. D., 1931.

DUDLEY nLEvY. 

